Arrival in Jakarta and transfer from Jakarta International airport to a hotel in a lively downtown district of central Jakarta, where you are awaited with a welcome cocktail. In the evening, we meet for group dinner in a local restaurant and discuss the program ahead.

Minibus transfer with the group from Jakarta to a beach resort on the W coast of Java, facing the infamous island group of Krakatoa. Delicious lunch in a local Sundanese restaurant on the way. While our tour guide finalizes the preparations for the overnight excursion to Krakatoa, you have the afternoon to do as you wish: opportunity to stroll on the beach, sunbathe, (if the sea is calm) swim, explore local markets etc. If you are curious to see the background preparation, you are welcome to join the guide while shopping for food, inspecting the boat etc.

In the morning, leaving most of the luggage in the hotel on land, we leave Carita by private boat and sail (weather conditions permitting) to Krakatoa. After about 2-3 hours sailing, we arrive in the caldera and first inspect the steep cliffs of the remaining islands, left as remnants after the devastating explosion in 1883 that tore the previous island of Krakatoa apart. We then circle the young active volcanic island Anak Krakatoa ("The son of Krakatoa") itself that first emerged in 1929. If activity permitting, we can land on it and build a camp for the night there (if this is not advisable, the camp will be on the opposite island from where Anak Krakatoa can be observed safely).
Lunch on the beach and plenty of time to swim or explore the recent lava flows, desert-like ash fields covered with ejected blocks and bombs, as well as study the rapidly re-growing flora and fauna of the youngest land in S-E Asia. Warm underwater springs near the landing site are a remainder that we stand on a living volcano. For best light, we climb the summit crater of Anak Krakatoa volcano (ca. 300m alt.) in the afternoon (if its activity permits an approach). In the evening and at night, we light a campfire and have an Indonesian barbecue dinner on the beach.

After a hearty breakfast on the beach and perhaps a morning swim and an optional second visit to the crater of Krakatau, we prepare to depart from Anak Krakatoa. Before we leave the caldera, we make a snorkeling stop at a coral reef near the cliffs of Rakata island is made if the sea is calm. Return to Carita and transfer back to the hotel by lunchtime. Rest of day to spend as you please. As optional program, a visit to the nearby volcanologic observation post of Krakatau is offered.

After an early breakfast, we leave the W cost in a private minibus and begin the 300km-long travel along a scenic route, reaching the Sundanese town of Garut in the late afternoon (total driving time: 6-8 hours). Garut is a small university town with a scenic backdrop of volcanoes, a nice climate and very pleasant ambience.

We have two full days around the little university town of Garut, perched in a high plain between several volcanoes: Options include Papandayan volcano, Galunggung and the hydrothermal area near Cipanas with its numerous hot springs.
Papandayan is a particularly rewarding excursion: it erupted spectacularly in 2001 and produced a lateral blast similar to Mt. St. Helens in 1980 which devastated the area and left a bizarre moon-like landscape: ash and block deserts, steaming craters with turquoise lakes, violently hissing fumaroles and sulphur deposits, boiling mud pools, stinking rivers of foul water in different colours, charred trees that were stripped off, un-rooted and buried by recent pyroclastic flows.

An early train (first class) brings us comfortably directly to the beautiful, lively city of Yogyakarta, Central Java's capital, and Java's cultural and spiritual heart. The train ride (about 7-8 hours), an intense cultural experience in itself, passes spectacular landscapes of rice fields and mighty volcanoes in the background. It is considered as one of the most beautiful train rides in Asia. Lunch is served from the train's restaurant.
Upon arrival in Yogya, the famous riskaws will bring us to our friendly, quiet and very comfortable hotel in a central downtown location. The rest of afternoon and the evening is for you to relax at the hotel's swimming pool or start walk around and exploring the city. In the evening, group dinner. Those who are interested, could assist a traditional Ramayana ballet performance in the evening.

Today is mostly free program, but you are invited to join an amusing & interesting 4-5 hour city tour on becak (the local name for rickshaws): we can visit the Kraton (the old walled city) with its Sultan's Palace, the famous bird-market, the water-castle etc... Yogya is a charming city with many and busy colourful markets,- inviting to explore near-infinite possibilities of culinary and shopping offerings, esp. local crafts such as batik, silver, wood carvings etc. In the evening, we visit Java's largest Hindu temple complex near Prambanan (ca. 1 hr from our hotel). Those who are interested could combine this with attending one of the traditional Ramayana ballet performances held out against the silhouette of the temples in the evening (if there is performance that day; otherwise, one of the following nights could be used instead).

In the morning, we take time to visit the monumental temple of Borobodur, the largest Buddhist temple in Asia. Erected between 750 and 850 AD, then partly buried under volcanic mudflows from Merapi volcano around 1000 AD and again excavated starting in 1815, Borobodur counts as one of Asia’s major archaeological sites. The visit to Borobodur will include a guided tour with extra time to spend in or near the complex. After lunch, we drive to the slopes of Merapi volcano where we can observe the impressive evidence of its recent eruption (e.g. the fresh deposits and destruction caused by the pyroclastic flows in June 2006).

In the morning, we leave Yogya and take a short but very scenic flight or a train to East Java's capital Surabaya. A minibus waits for us at the airport and we drive to the west side of the huge Tengger volcano massif where we have a good lunch in a charming restaurant. After lunch, we continue on open-roof jeeps and drive into the massif (ca. 1.5 hrs) through the most rarely, but most scenic route from the west. Standing on the jeeps gives us opportunity to enjoy the very spectacularly sculptured landscape on the way up dominated by deeply eroded steep canyons.
When we arrive on the W rim of the huge Tengger caldera, we stop to enjoy the amazing views onto the active volcano Semeru as well as the caldera floor itself with its various volcanic cones including the active cone of Bromo volcano. Then, the jeep ride continues descending into the caldera, crossing its floor and finally climbing the opposite rim where we stay in a nice bungalow hotel right perched on the edge of the caldera.

The rest of the day is free for you to spend as you please. Visits to the nearby volcanological observation post of Bromo and, of course, the easy climb to the active crater of Bromo volcano (last eruption: June 2004) crater in the center of the caldera (about 2 hrs round trip on foot; you can also rent horses or take a jeep ride) should not be missed.

We get up in the morning early before sunrise (at around 4), have only a hot tea or coffee, and drive to one of the world’s most famous viewpoints near the highest point on the rim of the Tengger caldera. The early morning views of the caldera with its young volcanic craters including Bromo and the active volcano Semeru in the background are breathtaking - the play of light and shadow with sunrays reaching the mountains in succession from top to bottom and the usual fog in the bottom of the caldera is unique.
After sunrise, those who feel like are invited to a beautiful, easy 2-hrs. hike, where we first descend around 400m onto the lower caldera rim and then follow it all the way to the village Cemoro Lawang back to our hotel.
After breakfast we leave the hotel and continue our journey on open jeeps, first crossing the Tengger caldera, then descending the wild slopes of the Natl. Park towards its southern side. We cross an impressive rainforest before we reach the cultivated areas and a small town where have lunch near the local market. You are invited to join the tour guide to shop for our next camp on the market. After that, we drive to visit the local volcanological observation station of Semeru, where Semeru's activity is continuously monitored 24hrs/7days.
After a presentation of Semeru's present and recent activity as well as its monitoring, we continue for about 30 mins to drive through little villages, rice terraces, and a forest, to reach an excellent scenic observation point located on the volcano's S flank. From here, Semeru's present strong strombolian activity can be best (and safely) observed. With the help of local cooks we built our camp for the night, and enjoy the scenery of the active volcano as the night grows dark. A delicious barbeque dinner will be prepared to celebrate our volcano adventures.

After a relaxed breakfast and perhaps a short visit of the local market in a nearby village, we drive through scenic landscapes until we reach the Ijen Plateau, another large caldera where we spend the night in the guest-house of a world-famous coffee plantation, founded by the Dutch in the 19th century. Before dinner, a bath in natural hot springs will be an unforgettably relaxing experience.

Early in the morning, we drive a short way to the start of the trail that leads up to the beautiful active crater of Ijen volcano (Kawah Ijen) (about 1 hr climbing) with its famous turquoise acid lake (which is the most acid in the world!) and the hot, partly liquid sulphur deposits. The fumaroles are so hot that sulphur comes out as green vapour. The vapour is collected by large pipes, through which the vapor condenses, and at the exit you see red rivulets of liquid sulphur, that then freeze to solid deposits, which are quarried, in order to obtain huge blocks of pure sulphur. Ijen’s sulphur deposits are infamous for the local workers who quarry the sulphur with primitive, health-devastating methods,- an incredibly hard job. Gas-masks are provided for the visit to the crater.
After plenty of observation time, we leave the Ijen Plateau and drive down to the coast facing Bali, where we have a good lunch in a nice restaurant overlooking the sea. In the early afternoon, we embark on a ferry, cross the busy waterway (about 1 hr) and within about 1,5 hours of driving, we have reached one of Bali’s most beautiful beaches near Lovina. The day is ended in a beautiful pool hotel on the beach, and as the last highlight of the tour, we meet later for a delicious dinner in a beach tavern,

The tour ends on Bali, for some with an extension on Bali with its paradise beaches, for some already with transport to the airport of Denpasar and connecting flight back to Jakarta airport.

Accompanied by porters and well-equipped with food, cooking and camping gear, we will start a long (ca. 8-10 hrs), but in most parts easy trek across hills and forests to the beginning of the volcanic rocks and ash wilderness. Finally, we reach a basic campsite below the summit cone of Semeru at around 3000 m elevation. Lunch snacks on the way, and a fully cooked warm dinner at the campsite will keep our energy high.

After a hot tea or coffee, we start well before sunrise to start the final, but demanding climb up the very steep, loose slope of Semeru. As it gets light, the stunning spectacle of the volcano's eruptions gets slowly into sight.
Finally, we will stand on Java's highest top with an incredible view over Java and Bali, with many other volcanic peaks around and below us. A bit further, in fact very close, Semeru volcano's crater belches out its curling clouds of ash. This is a highlight in the true sense of the word, and it will remain as a vivid picture of our trip. Extreme caution, however, must be excercised while being on the summit plateau,- an approach to the the proper crater rim is off-limits - people have died there! After some time spent on or near the summit plateau, we head back to our second camp, near a lake, where we can relax. 
Important note:
Every one climbing Semeru's summit should do this in his/her own full responability, which implies awareness of the volcanic risk at the summit: even during normal conditions, sudden unpredicted larger eruptions can involve the relatively safe summit plateau, and throw deadly rocks and lava bombs at climbers. During periods of heightened summit activity, the decision to limit the time on the summit to a minimum or even to give up the attempt to climb is a wise decision, which our experienced tour leader would take if deemed necessary. Despite this, there will be a rest risk, because Semeru, as all volcanoes, is unpredictable.
You should NOT go further than the summit plateau near the true summit and walk towards the active crater, even if it is tempting and only an easy stroll. And even if you might see some people go even up to the crater rim, don't! You will find tour "guides", tour operators and TV shows bringing you right there, but we think that the risk is unacceptable and we don't understand this need to play hero. In past and recent years, people who didn't find this, have been KILLED, earning Semeru the rank as the deadliest volcano when it comes to fatalities among volcano tourists. Virtually all of these accidents have occurred near the crater rim, and not on the much safer summit plateau.

We hike back to Ranu Pani, where we have lunch; afterwards, an adventurous jeep drive will bring us to the village of Cemoro Lawang, crossing the sand sea of the Tengger caldera. In Cemoro Lawang we will take our rooms in a comfortable family-run hotel, located right on the edge of the caldera with spectacular views on Bromo volcano. The rest of the day is free.